a wonderous
war-board; he readily knew,
|
þæt him holtwudu helpan ne meahte
|
|
that him
tree-wood could not help,
|
|
lind wið
líge. Sceolde líþenddaga
|
|
linden-wood
against fire. He had to his seafaring-days,
|
|
æþeling aérgód ende
gebídan
|
|
the old, good
noble, abide the end
|
|
worulde
lífes ond se wyrm somod
|
|
of life in the
world, and the wyrm
together,
|
|
þéah ðe hordwelan héolde
lange.
|
2344
|
though the
hoard-wealth he had held
long.
|
|
Oferhogode
ðá hringa fengel
|
|
Then he
scorned, the rings' lord,
|
|
þæt hé þone wídflogan
weorode gesóhte
|
|
that he the
wide-flier would seek out with a
troop,
|
|
sídan
herge· nó hé him þám sæcce
ondréd
|
|
a large
army; he did not the strife dread
for himself,
|
|
né him
þæs wyrmes wíg for wiht dyde
|
|
nor him the
wyrm's fire esteem a bit,
|
|
eafoð ond
ellen forðon hé aér fela
|
2349
|
power and
courage, for that he before
many,
|
|
nearo
néðende níða gedígde
|
|
narrowly
risking, hostilities
survived,
|
|
hildehlemma syððan
hé Hróðgáres
|
|
battle-clashes, since he
Hrothgar's,
|
|
sigoréadig secg sele faélsode
|
|
--victory-favoured man-- hall
cleansed,
|
|
ond æt
gúðe forgráp Grendeles maégum
|
|
and in war
overwhelmed Grendel's race,
|
|
láðan cynnes. Nó þæt
laésest wæs
|
2354
|
| hateful
kind. Not the least was
|
|
|
|
hondgemóta
þaér mon Hygelác slóh
|
|
the
hand-to-hand encounter, where one
slew Hygelac,
|
|
syððan Géata cyning gúðe
raésum
|
|
after the
Geats' king, in war's
rushes,
|
|
fréawine folca Fréslondum on
|
|
the lord and
friend of the folk, in
Frisia,
|
|
Hréðles eafora hiorodryncum swealt
|
|
Hrethel's
heir, died in the drink of
sword,
|
|
bille
gebéaten· þonan Bíowulf cóm
|
2359
|
beaten down by
bill-blades.
Then Beowulf came
|
|
sylfes
cræfte· sundnytte dréah·
|
|
by his own
strength, he made use of the
sea;
|
|
hæfde
him on earme eorla þrítig
|
|
he had in his
arms thirty of all
|
|
hildegeatwa þá
hé tó holme stág·
|
|
the
battle-gear, when he mounted the
ocean;
|
|
nealles
Hetware hrémge þorfton
|
|
not at all did the Hetwares had need to be exulting
|
|
féðewíges
þé him foran ongéan
|
2364
|
over the
fighting on foot, who forth against
him
|
|
linde
baéron· lýt eft becwóm
|
|
bore
linden-wood shields; few came
back
|
|
fram
þám hildfrecan hámes níosan.
|
|
from that
warrior to visit their homes.
|
|
Oferswam
ðá sioleða bigong sunu
Ecgðéowes
|
|
He crossed over
then the flowing expanse of waters,
the son of of Edgetheow,
|
|
earm
ánhaga eft tó léodum
|
|
wretched and
solitary, back to the
people,
|
|
þaér him Hygd gebéad hord ond
ríce
|
2369
|
there Hygd
bade him hoard and kingdom,
|
|
béagas
ond bregostól: bearne ne trúwode
|
|
rings and
throne: in her son she did not
trust
|
|
þæt hé wið ælfylcum
éþelstólas
|
|
that he
against foreign peoples the
ancestral throne
|
|
healdan
cúðe ðá wæs Hygelác
déad·
|
|
had the power
to hold when Hygelac was dead;
|
|
nó
ðý aér féasceafte findan
meahton
|
|
not the sooner
the destitute ones could
find
|
|
æt
ðám æðelinge aénige
ðinga
|
2374
|
in the noble one
by any means,
|
|
þæt hé Heardréde
hláford waére
|
|
that he to
Heardred would be a lord,
|
|
oððe
þone cynedóm cíosan wolde·
|
|
or the
kingdom wished to accept;
|
|
hwæðre hé him on folce
fréondlárum héold
|
|
yet he to him among
the folk upheld with the counsels
of a friend,
|
|
éstum
mid áre oð ðæt hé yldra
wearð·
|
|
graciously in
honour, until he grew
older,
|
|
Weder-Géatum wéold. Hyne
wræcmæcgas
|
2379
|
ruled the
Weder-Geats. Him banished
men
|
|
ofer
saé sóhtan, suna Óhteres·
|
|
from across
the sea sought, sons of
Ohthere;
|
|
hæfdon
hý forhealden helm Scylfinga
|
|
they had
rebelled against the Helm of the
Scylfings,
|
|
þone
sélestan saécyninga
|
|
the
finest of sea-kings
|
|
þára ðe in Swíoríce sinc
brytnade,
|
|
who there in
Sweden dispensed treasure,
|
|
maérne
þéoden· him þæt tó mearce
wearð·
|
2384
|
famed
chieftain; to him it became the
end;
|
|
hé
þaér for feorme feorhwunde hléat
|
|
there he for
his hospitality received a
mortal-wound,
|
|
sweordes
swengum sunu Hygeláces
|
|
from sword's
swing, the son of Hygelac;
|
|
ond him eft
gewát Ongenðioes bearn
|
|
and he went
back, Ongentheow's
son
|
|
hámes
níosan syððan Heardréd
læg·
|
|
to seek his
home, after Heardred lay
dead;
|
|
lét
ðone bregostól Bíowulf healdan,
|
2389
|
the throne he
let Beowulf hold,
|
|
Géatum
wealdan· þæt wæs gód cyning.
|
|
to rule the
Geats; that was a good
king.
|
] to listen to a reading of selected passages in Old
English)